Meter



Jan. 3, 1933. F. T. DOUILLARD 1,893,022

METER Filed Dec. 24, 1930 Patented Jan. 3, 1933 ulvtrsn starts FATENT ()FFICE FRANK T. DO'UILLARD, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS CGMPANY, 01* LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPO- RATIOIN OF CALIFORNIA METER Application filed December 24, 1930.

This invention relates to meters of the type, for example, employed for metering gas, and an object, in general, is to facilitate the adjustment of the timing of the valve means.

It is customary to check the accuracy of meters of this type, at intervals, and, especial- 1y, if for any reason it appears that inaccuracies have developed in the metering of the gas. In order to test the meter for ac curacy, it is connected up to a gas meter prover and if any inaccuracy is found in the registration of the tested meter, the timing of the valve is altered and the meter is again tested and the testing and adjusting of the timing are repeated until the registering of the tested meter is the same as that of the gas meter prover. At present, the adjusting of the timing of the valve is very inconvenient and, accordingly, expensive, because much time is consumed in making the necessary adjustments.

The valve or valves of the meter that control the flow of gas into the meter are usually driven by a crank on a shaft that is driven by v a moving part of the meter. Two adjustments of the crank pin are necessary one substantially radially on the crank pin to change the stroke of the valves, and another in a tangential direction to change the time of opening and closing of the valves. It has been the practice heretofore to provide a removable plug in the side wall of the casing of the meter through which a tool, such as a long stem socket wrench, may be inserted to efiect the adjustments.

The general object of this invention is to provide a simple construction for mounting the crank pin on the crank which will enable it to be readily adjusted longitudinally of the crank or in a direction at right angles to the crank and to provide a construction of this type which may be readily reached for adjustment through an opening in the 15 casing of the meter.

Serial No. 504,543.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention V Fig. 1 is a plan view, with cover omitted, of meter having a slide valve system used in meters of this type.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, inverted plan view of a portion of the valve-operating mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line indicated by 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a vertical section on the line indicated by l-4, Fig. 2.

N ow describing the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to l of the drawing, aplurality of slide valves 18?) are employed.

The mechanism that operably connects the shaft 216 with the motor, not shown, is indicated in general by the character 46 and it need not be described in detail, except in respect to that portion of said mechanism that embodies one form of the invention. Furthermore, the shaft 21?) is connected by wellknown mechanism, indicated at L7, to the valves 18?) for operating said valves.

The mechanism 46 includes a crank 23?) which is fixed to the shaft 21?) by a set screw 37?) or its equivalent. The crank 235 carries a slide 295 which is in the form of a block adjustable by a screw 34?) mounted in a longitudinal slot 286 in the crank 23b. Movement of the slide 29?) is longitudinal of the crank and is for the purpose of changing the length of the stroke of the crank, the same as is effected by adjustment of the slide 29 in Fig. 2.

The construction of the crank 23?) so far described, is not new and is well understood by those versed in this art, and the particular feature that differentiates from the prior art will now be described:

The slide 29 0 is suitably connected with the link 31?). In this instance, the link 31?) is adjustably connected with the slide 29?) the path ofrmovement of thejslide 29b.

Theslide 356 carries a pivot 30?) for'pivotally connecting thelinks 25b and 31?) with said slide 356.,

,Inthis'instance, the position of the head in said last named slot, an adjusting screw mounted in said extension extending longitudinally of the second named slot and having threaded engagement with the second slide for adjusting the same along its slot and a crank pin carried on the'last named slide,

and means for connecting the crank pin to aof the screw 38b is such that in order to apply the wrench Ab to said head, the opening 4% is in the rear wall 41?) of the meter case 116. This embodiment of the invention operates asfollows: To change the angular relation betweenthe shaft 216 and the pivot 30b, so as" to'eifect a change in the timing of the valve operation, the wrench will be inserted through the opening 42?) and engaged with the" head of the screw 385 and such wrench 'will be turned in the appropriate direction so I 236, thus not materially altering the throw of the crank 23bbut advancing or retarding the valve operation with respect to the movement of the diaphragms.

Y Itis understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein'is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and Ido not wish to be limited in the practice of my invention, nor in my claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

IIclaim: "v r 1. In a meter having a valve-operating shaft,- the combination of a crank fixed to the shaft and having a longitudinal slot, a slide guided in said'slot, an adjusting screw having threaded engagement with said slide for adjusting the same in either direction longitudinally of the crank, said slide havingan extension with a slot extending transversely to the crank, a second slide guided in said lastnamed slot, an adjusting screw having threaded engagement with the last named slide for adjusting the same in either direction along its slot, a crank pin carried on the last named slide, and means'for connecting the crank-pin to a moving part of the meter for driving the shaft. v

2. In a meter having a valve operating shaft, the combination of a crank fixed to the shaft and having a longitudinal slot, a slide guided in said slot, an adjusting screw mounted in the crank extending longitudinally'of the slot and having threaded engagement with said slide for adjusting the same longitudinally of the crank, said slide having anextension with a slot extending trans-. 

